Wire stretcher



Nov. 6, 1923. mnw

R. V. JOHNSON WIRE STRETCHER,

Filed May 7, 1922 gvyuewfoz PI/amson @1101 neg tion, in operative position,

Patented New. 6, i923.

'nnrranjsrar Brennan v. cronnson, or MERIDIAN, TEXAS.

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Application filed May 37, 1922. Serial No. 564,064. 7

To all whom it may concern r 1 Be it known that I, RICHARD V. J onnson,

a citizen of the United States, residin at Meridian, in the county of Bosque and Eitate of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wire Stretchers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in wire stretchers.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple, quick-acting device having a slidable Wire-stretching member actuated by a handle lever; together with gripping means thru which the wire is passed and which is adapted to automatically engage and hold said, wire against displacement when the wire-stretching member is being slid into position to stretch said wire.

A particular feature resldes in the 00* operation of the gripping means with the wire-stretching'member, whereby the Wire may be drawn as tightly as is desired by the.

operation of the handle lever, without the necessity of removing or adjusting the device during the stretching operation.

Another feature resides in a springpressed pawl carried by the handle lever for disengaging the gripping'means when said lever is swung to stretch the wire.

A construction designed to carry out the invention. will be hereinafter described together with other features of the invention.

The invention will be more readily under stood from areading of the following specification and by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which an example of the invention is shown and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a wire stretcher constructed in accordance with myinven- Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail of the wirestretching member, I t j Fig; 3 is a longitudinal vertical sectional View of the same,

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail of the gripping means, a portion of the bracket being broken away,

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 55 of Figrl, and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail of a portion of the handle lever, showing the spring pressed releasing pawl.

In the drawings the numeral 10 designates a carrier bar, the outer end of which is reduced to form a slide bar 11. The opposite end of the carrier bar is provided with an aperture 12 in whichis connected one end of a chain 13 having a hook 13 on its free end. In operation the device is hitched to a fencepost 14: by looping the chain around the same and engaging the hook 13 in one of the links thereof, as is clearly shown in 1.

Pivotally mounted on the side of the carrier bar is a depending handle lever '15, the upper end of which is connected to an elongated link 16. The outer end of the link is pivoted to a dog 17 which is inclined outwardly thru a slot 18 in the top of a. sliding jaw 19. The dog is pivoted within the jaw 19 and its lower curved edge is serrated so as to rigidly engage a wire 20, said jaw and dog constituting the wire-stretching member. The jaw is sli'dable on the'bar 11 by means of a longitudinal guideway 21 .in its lower portion, which telescopes over said bar, as is best shown in Fig. 3. One side of the jaw is provided with an elongated" slot 22 extending the full length thereof, so that the saidjaw may be removed from the wire after the stretching operation is completed. A guide roller 23 is disposed within the jaw outwardly of the dog 17.

Mounted on the opposite side of the carrier bar to the handle lever 15 and adjacent the inner end of the slide bar 11 is a removable bracket 24, the upper portion of which overhangs the top edge of saidccarrier bar. A screw 25 is passed thru said bar and bracket and provided with a thumb nut 26, whereby'the bracket is removably secured in place.- That portion of the bracket surrounding the screw 25, together with the cor- Which extends'into the path of the handle lever 15. A spring-pressed releasing pawl 80 is carried by the short arm of the handle lever in a housing 31 provided on that edge of the lever adjacent the pin 29, said edge having a notch 32 immediately above said housing. The said pawl is arrangedv so as to engage and ride under the pin 29 when the handle lever is swung to slide the jaw 19 outwardly to its extreme position, as is shown in dotted lines in 1.

curved so as to readily said pin; while the inner edge is substantially straight. When the handle lever is swung in an opposite direction, it is evident that the straight edgewill abutthe pin 29, thereby raising the pawl 27 and releasing the engagement {of the gripping means. It is pointed out that the releasing operation is automatic and takes place when the sliding jaw 19 starts its inward, wirestretching movement. 1

In operation it will be'seen that the device is'hitched to the fence post 14 or other object in-a manner hereinbefore described.

The wire which is to be stretched is threaded thru the sliding jaw 19 and the gripping means, so that the end of the 20- same is engaged between the serrated edge of the carrier bar and the pawl 27 When the wire is thus engaged by the gripping means, thehandle lever is swung towards the post so as to slide the jaw 19 to its extreme; outward position, as is shown in dottedlines in Fig. 1. It is pointed out that by such movement of the lever the pawl 3O rides under the pin 29, said pin being received in the notch 32. The stretching operationis accomplished by swinging the handle lever away from the post 14., whereby. the dog 17 rigidly engages the wire and the It is jaw 19 is slid inwardly on the bar 11. pointed out that at the same time the jaw 19 starts its inward movement the releasing pawl 30 abuts the pin 29, thereby breaking the engagement of the pawl 27 with the wire, the latter may be easily passed thru the gripping means. as it is stretched by the inward movement of the jaw 19. It is I pointed out that the pawl 27 is springpressed, and as soon as the jaw 19 completes its inward movement and the dog 17 thereof releasesthewire, said wire is automatically gripped by "the pawl 27. and prevented from slipping while'said jaw is being slid to its out-ward position to again engage and tighten the wire. Itlwill be' seen that the operation of the gripping means is automatic and the stretching operation may be continued until the wire istightened to the desired extent. a 7

After the operation the thumb nut 26 is loosened, whereby the bracket 24 may be slightly raised to permit the wire to pass from under the pawl 27 it being pointed '7 out that the slot 22 is provided in the jaw 19 to permit said jaw to be easily removed from The outer-edge of said-pawl is reduced and ride under.

actuating the same,

said wire. By disconnecting the hook 13'- r the chain may be readily removed from-the post 14 as is obvious.

Various changes in the size and shape of the different parts, as well as modifications, ma-y be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. 7 i

disengaging the pawl with the wire when" said member is slid inwardly, and means for securing the bar to a fixed support durmg operation.

2. In a'wire stretcher, a carrier barhavw mg one end reduced to form an elongated slide bar, a wire-stretching member slidable on the last named bar, a handle lever pivoted to the carrier bar, an elongated link con necting the lever with said member, a bracket carrying'aspringpre'ssed pawl overhanging the upper edge of thecarrier bar, said pawlco-acting -w1th serrations on said edge for gripping and holding the wire against displacement when the latter is not engaged by the wire stretching member,

means on the handle lever co-operating with a lateral projection on said pawl for dlsplac ing the latter upwardly when the wirestretching member is slid inwardly, and means for securing the carrier bar to a fixed support during operation.

3. In a wire stretcher, an elongated carrier bar having'serrations, a wirestretchingjaw slidable on the bar and-having a slot along one side throughwhich the wire maybe removed laterally, a lever mounted on'the bar and connected with the jaw for reciprocating the same, a vertically adjustable bracket mounted on the bar and overhanging the serrations, a spring pressed pawl mounted in the bracket over the serrations, means carried by the lever for operating the pawl, and means for connecting the bar with a fixed support.

ture.

' RICHARD v. JOHNSON.

In testimony whereof Igafiix my sigma-1 

